Beach umbrellas have become synonymous with suntan lotion as a means for protecting beach goers from exposure to sunlight. It is well known that excessive exposure to sunlight may lead to skin cancer. For this reason, most astute beach goers seek shelter from the direct rays of the sun during the hottest part of the day using an umbrella which allows them to continue enjoying their visit. Suntan lotion, commonly used by sunbathers to block the sun, requires application to all exposed parts of the body. However, suntan lotion leaves many uncertainties including proper application, amount of sunblock protection, whether the lotion is still effective after exposure to water, allergic skin reaction, and carcinogenic ingredients.
Thus, beach umbrellas are becoming more and more popular as the beach goer becomes aware of dangers of both sunlight and suntan lotion use. The beach umbrella provides a portable shelter from the sun making the beach an enjoyable visit even to those not interested in sunbathing. The shade provided by the umbrella also keeps pets, picnic lunches, drinks and the like from getting overheated from direct sunlight exposure. Further, the umbrella can be used as a shelter from blowing wind and sand making most any visit to the beach an enjoyable experience.
A problem with beach umbrellas is directed to the anchoring of the umbrella. Unless securely fastened into the sand, the umbrella can easily tip over or be blown down the beach where it may cause injury to other beach goers. This is especially true of beach umbrellas having a support pole with a sharp tip, used for insertion into the sand, which may spear a hapless sunbather. Further, a pointed end on the umbrella support pole may cause injury during the placement process or even while being carried.
One type of beach umbrella known in the prior art utilizes a central support pole with a pointed lower end that is inserted directly into the sand. The pointed end is jammed into the sand and rocked back and forth until suitably embedded to maintain the support pole in a vertical or angled orientation. However, this type of installation loosens the surrounding sand so that a gust of wind can cause the umbrella to dislodge leading to the aforementioned dangerous conditions.
In an effort to prevent the beach umbrella from being pulled out of the sand, alternative techniques for better anchoring the support pole have been developed. One technique involves excavating a hole deep into the beach sand, inserting the support pole into the hole and using the excavated sand to fill-in the hole around the pole. A drawback to this technique is the relatively excessive amount of time it takes to excavate a hole of sufficient depth. A shovel or similar tool used to facilitate the digging further necessitates another device that must be carried to the beach.
The beach umbrella disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,271,196 includes a baseplate mounted to the lower end of the support pole available for use as a digging tool in addition to anchoring the umbrella in the sand. The baseplate is bolted or otherwise threaded to the lower end of a two-piece pipe which functions as the central support pole for the umbrella. The lower piece of pipe mounting the baseplate is then detached from the umbrella and used to dig a hole in which the lower end of the support pole is buried. A disadvantage of this beach umbrella is that the hole dug must be relatively large in order to accommodate the baseplate and properly anchor the umbrella. In addition, this baseplate can only be mounted to the lower end the particular umbrella support pole disclosed and not to the lower end of conventional umbrella support pole.
Digging a large hole for placement of an umbrella base is illegal on some beaches. If the beach is used for turtle nesting, the digging may damage turtle eggs. Excavation of large holes is also likely to uncover rocks that, if left half buried under the sand, will cause injury to those walking barefoot. Finally, inconsiderate persons who must excavate the hole to remove the umbrella stand may leave the hole open wherein people can trip if gone unnoticed.
Thus, what is needed in the art is a beach umbrella and apparatus for securely anchoring the umbrella into the sand with minimal excavation.